Al Horford on Celtics collapse: There's a tendency to relax when leading

In Friday’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Boston Celtics blew a 22-point lead and were completely flat on offense in the second half. The loss split the season series between the top two teams in the Eastern Conference and amplified what a potential postseason matchup could look like among two favorites for the NBA championship this season.

Not only did the offense falter in the second half but the defense also looked just as flat, with Donovan Mitchell leading the charge, dropping 41 points to lead Cleveland, which was paired with Evan Mobley’s performance of 17 points and 12 rebounds.

Following the loss that dropped the Celtics to 18-11 at TD Garden, big man Al Horford was straightforward about where the team went wrong allowing opponents to get back into games after they jump out to big leads. Speaking to reporters in the locker room, Horford said teams are not going to play bad all game and that as a team, Boston can at times show a tendency to relax.

Feb 28, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) smiles as he is helped up by teammates after Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) was called for an offensive foul during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Horford emphasized that the team needs to hold onto leads late in games and not allow opponents to have any chance to get back into it. “I just feel like naturally we can relax a little bit or there’s a tendency to relax. Obviously the other team is not going to keep playing that bad, so they’re going to make some plays and make a run. That’s a part of the game, that’s the way the game goes. We definitely have to try and keep those leads as best we can.”

Boston will look to rebound from the loss on Sunday against the Denver Nuggets, their second of eight straight home games where they will need to have better success to close out the regular season.